2025 Honda Pilot vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in various trims like LE, XLE, and XSE, presented a distinctive look with sleek front and rear fascias. Despite the absence of the "swagger wagon" commercials, its vibe persisted. The Sienna offered stylish color options such as deep blue, red, and green, and featured standard LED lighting, with upper trims boasting Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty appeal, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition, available in Cement or Midnight Black Metallic, was designed for off-road readiness with roof rails, a tow hitch, and slightly increased ground clearance.

Inside, the Sienna came standard with cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight. The XSE trim with the Premium package offered enhanced features like leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats and a leather-trimmed power steering wheel with ADAS controls. The interior design emphasized spaciousness with horizontal lines and satin accents. While not luxurious, it was practical for families, with upper trims offering a built-in vacuum cleaner.

The 2025 Honda Pilot, offered in trims like Sport, EX-L, and Black Edition, aimed for a rugged appearance since its 2023 redesign. The Black Edition featured black wheels, blacked-out exterior trim, and black leather seats with red accents. The cabin included red contrast stitching and ambient lighting, with "Black Edition" embossed on head restraints and floor mats. While the Pilot's design was attractive, it was more suited for suburban environments than off-road adventures.

Inside, the Pilot's thoughtful design included quality materials, though the digital driver display and infotainment system appeared dated. The Black Edition's interior featured a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, but the front passenger seat lacked adjustability. The second-row seats were roomy, with a removable center section for easy access to the third row. The Pilot offered practical storage solutions, but the technology lacked a "wow factor."

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models included an additional electric motor for the rear wheels. Despite a sport-tuned suspension and Sport mode, the Sienna's performance felt sluggish, with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that contributed to a lackluster driving experience. Acceleration was smooth but slow, especially on highways or inclines. The brakes were somewhat grabby, but steering was light and accurate, with excellent visibility.

In contrast, the 2025 Honda Pilot was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, generating 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. The Pilot offered multiple driving modes, including Sport and Trail, and could tow up to 5,000 pounds. The AWD system featured torque vectoring and hill descent control, with up to 8.3 inches of ground clearance in the TrailSport trim. While the V6 provided good acceleration, the transmission occasionally felt slow to downshift. Fuel economy was unimpressive, averaging 20 mpg. The Pilot's handling was predictable, with a compliant suspension that absorbed road imperfections well.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior space, with a lower storage pass-through for bulky items and multiple cupholders. The second-row captain’s chairs offered up to 40 inches of legroom and included an ottoman for relaxation. However, the slide function was complex, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row was accessible for adults, with 39 inches of legroom when the second row was pushed forward. The Sienna featured tri-zone climate control and a rear liftgate with 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 101 cubic feet with seats folded.

The 2025 Honda Pilot offered three rows of comfortable seating and thoughtful storage solutions. The Black Edition's front row included a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, but the front passenger seat lacked adjustability. The second-row seats were roomy, with a removable center section for easy access to the third row. The Pilot featured a triple-zone automatic climate control system and a hands-free power tailgate, providing 18.6 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 86.5 cubic feet with seats folded.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was equipped with an older infotainment system featuring a nine-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo system. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter was available for charging devices.

The 2025 Honda Pilot featured a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Black Edition included a 12-speaker Bose audio system, but the wireless CarPlay function was problematic. Honda's voice recognition system was inconsistent, and the audio system was adequate but not exceptional. The Pilot included a CabinTalk feature for communication with rear passengers and a small head-up display.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came standard with Toyota Safety Sense, including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The Sienna received four out of five stars from NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. IIHS rated it "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Honda Pilot included Honda Sensing safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The Black Edition had parking sensors and a multi-view camera system. However, the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist systems had issues. The Pilot earned a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS and a five-star overall rating from NHTSA.